Hand pain - reasons. Why does your hand hurt and what is the most effective treatment?
Your hands experience stress every day because they are almost always in motion. Sometimes we don't notice how tired they are and we continue to overload them. It's only when pain shoots through our hands and fingers that we wonder if we've overdone it. But this can signal the presence of pathologies in the joints or internal organs.
Gout
This disease is characterized by the accumulation of salt deposits in the joints (and hands) uric acid. The disease usually begins in the legs and later spreads to the arms. First, inflammation of the joint at the base of the thumb develops, then the pain moves to the wrist joint. Other symptoms of gout are swelling and sharp, unbearable pain, throbbing or burning. The attack lasts for several days. Redness occurs in places of pain. It is not always possible to remove it; sometimes it goes away on its own.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is damage to the cartilage tissue of the wrist joints. According to doctors, the cause of this disease is fractures of the carpal bones, improperly healed intra-articular fractures of the fingers, as well as metabolic problems and systemic diseases.
First, the hands hurt during exertion, and later during periods of complete immobility. Associated symptoms: cracking joints, deformation of the hand, swelling, difficulty moving. My hands hurt and it’s hard to bend my fingers because fine motor skills are impaired.
Arthritis
The essence of the disease is that the joint becomes inflamed. Arthritis occurs in two forms: acute and chronic. The first is characterized by marked pain, swelling, redness of the skin in the joint area and a local increase in temperature. For the second - slow flow without bright severe symptoms. This is very dangerous, because without paying attention to the symptoms, you can wait until the joint is completely destroyed.
With arthritis, the hand constantly hurts in the hand area, regardless of whether it is at rest or under load. In the morning, it is more difficult to move the affected arm and you may notice how swollen it is.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid, unlike simple arthritis, is an autoimmune disease. Its peculiarity is that the body stops recognizing its cells, mistaking them for foreign objects, and attacks. As a result, the functions of one organ or their system are disrupted, and pathology further develops. It is characterized by pain in the wrist joints and the bases of the fingers. Unpleasant sensations occur symmetrically in both hands, movements are limited, and the pain intensifies in the morning. Another symptom is an increase in temperature; in areas of inflammation, the skin heats up. As for rheumatoid nodules, they become noticeable only at a late stage of the disease.
Most people affected by rheumatoid arthritis are middle-aged people - from 25 to 55 years old, but during puberty, teenagers can also get sick. Most often occurs in a chronic form.
Damage occurs not only in joints, but also in cartilage tissue and bone. The joints take on a spindle shape, and the pain can be constant or intermittent.
The development of the disease is quite rapid and can lead to deformation of the hand, which is difficult to correct. In the absence of a timely response, the development of dislocations and subluxations may occur in the affected joints. If the disease is in its final stage, deviation of the hands to the elbows may be observed.
The cause may be the destruction of tendons, their replacement with scars and, as a result, ruptures due to friction. Also rheumatoid arthritis develops due to destruction of ligaments and joint capsules.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
The essence of it is squeezing median nerve, passing through the bone walls and transverse carpal ligament. The patient's hand hurts when there is a load in the wrist area, the nature of the pain is aching and pulling. This is usually typical for those who work on a computer or laptop or play the piano. Also, carpal tunnel syndrome in a small number of cases develops due to changes in hormonal levels.
Inflammation of ligaments and tendons (peritendinitis)
During heavy physical labor, the tendons of the hands become inflamed. People who perform the same movements with their hands for a long time, for example, pianists, athletes, seamstresses, are most susceptible to this disease. Pain in the hand joint develops progressively: at first the discomfort does not cause any particular inconvenience, but later becomes unbearable. It is especially difficult for the hands during physical activity.
A concomitant symptom is weakness of the hands, they swell, and a crunch appears in the tendons.
Hand injuries
If the wrist joint is damaged in the ligament area, the person feels sharp pain, which later turns into pulling. Movement of the brush first causes painful sensations, and then it’s impossible to move your hand.
One type of injury is a dislocation. It is not difficult to recognize a dislocated phalanx of a finger, because it is accompanied by swelling and deformation. As for dislocations of other carpal bones, they are more difficult to identify. The lunate, scaphoid, pisiform and other small bones do not swell when dislocated.
If the hand hurts due to a fracture, it becomes very difficult to move it, and the injury site swells. With every movement, the bone fragments make a crunching sound.
Lesions of the cervical spine
If no obvious explanation is found for why the hand hurts, an examination of the cervical spine is necessary. Sometimes there are pathologies in it that can manifest as painful sensations in the hands. It is not easy to identify, and even more difficult to cure.
Coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction
Sometimes pain and tingling in the left hand signal an impending heart attack or ischemic attack. In some cases, both hands hurt or only one - the right one. It is important not to miss these symptoms, especially if heart pain has previously bothered you.
A characteristic sign of pain is that it radiates from the hand to the shoulder. May be accompanied by symptoms such as pressing pain behind the sternum, at the top of the arm, under the shoulder blade on the left. The appearance of shortness of breath (“difficulty breathing”), pale skin, cold sweat, anxiety, and fear for no reason is also characteristic. If all or several reasons are present, you need to call an ambulance team.
Localized pain
In addition to those pathologies that have already been listed, there are diseases that cause pain in one or more fingers on the hand. For example, an affected ulnar nerve causes pain and decreased sensation in the ring and little fingers. It is difficult to separate them (weakness is felt), and the interosseous muscles are atrophied.
In case of damage to the median nerve in the forearm, pain accumulates in the thumb, middle finger, and especially strongly in the index finger. The same fingers hurt when the patient suffers from radiculitis of the cervical spine.
Benign tumors can also cause arm pain. They are characterized by distribution discomfort higher in the hand.
Damage to the dorsal digital nerve causes burning pain. Because of benign education painful sensations concentrated on the terminal phalanx of one finger. Sometimes the tumor can be seen through the nail. First, the finger hurts when pressing, later - when the hand moves down. Sometimes pain in the joints of the phalanges can be caused by rheumatic diseases.
Aseptic necrosis
As a result of the development of this disease, bone tissue is poorly supplied with blood, resulting in its death and resorption. The pain is constant: both during exercise and at rest. In addition, the sore spot swells noticeably.
Avascular necrosis can result from a fracture or inflammation of the bone.
De Quervain's disease
It has many names and belongs to the category of occupational diseases. It occurs as a result of narrowing of the canal through which the tendons of the first (thumb) finger pass. One of the symptoms is inflammation of the tendon sheaths.
The cause is the constant high load on the hand. Development occurs gradually, becoming chronic.
The main symptom is pain at the base of the thumb and mild swelling in the same place. Sometimes this is accompanied by a crunching sound when you try to move your finger. 
Due to pain, a person loses the mobility of the thumb and the ability to perform some manipulations with the hand. To make a diagnosis, it is enough to examine the patient. Carrying out additional research no need.
In order to diagnose this disease in yourself, you need to follow a simple sequence of actions:
- bend your thumb;
- press it to the palm and fix it with other fingers;
- tilt your wrist towards your little finger.
Those who have de Quervain's disease will feel pain when bending the hand. Those who lack this pathology, they will not feel pain.
Writer's cramp
Another name for this syndrome is focal dystonia. This is a muscle spasm that occurs due to the process of writing with a pen or pencil for a long time, especially if the writer holds the instrument too tightly.
To avoid writing cramps, you need to periodically knead your hand, try to relax it, and hold the pen more freely. Your doctor may recommend a series of hand relaxation exercises to help control the cramp.
Research from St. Louis University has shown that people who experience writer's cramp suffer from a lack of blood supply (one-third less) in the area of the brain responsible for the sensations and movements of the hand.
trigger finger syndrome
Stenosing ligamentitis - oddly enough, this complex name is not in the ICD-10, but “snapping finger” is. It is hidden under the code M65.3.
The name fully explains all the symptoms - the finger really clicks when you try to bend it and it is not easy to straighten it. The scientific name gives anatomical definition: stenosis is a narrowing, and ligamentitis is inflammation of the ligaments.
To bend the fingers, the flexor muscles, which have long tendons in the fingers and palms, must be used. When the fingers move, the tendons slide along the joints along the bone-fibrous channels. Trigger finger may occur due to inflammation of the tendon or annular ligament.
Predisposition factors include gout, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and minor trauma.
About Raynaud's syndrome
This syndrome refers to angiotrophoneurosis. This group of diseases is typically characterized by the presence acute disorder blood circulation in the arteries of the feet and hands. Raynaud's syndrome mainly affects women between the ages of 40 and 50. More common in cold regions.
There are differences between Raynaud's syndrome and a disease with a similar name. The difference between the disease and the syndrome is that the latter more often develops gangrene in the affected area, trophic destruction is more noticeable, necrosis develops, and the nail plates are affected and deformed.
There are many causes of Raynaud's syndrome: the range includes vascular diseases, autoimmune pathologies, poisoning with heavy metals and alloys (lead, arsenic, etc.), and blood viscosity pathologies. Each situation requires individual diagnosis and identification of causes.
As for the causes of Raynaud's disease, most often they are associated with diseases of the central nervous system and spinal cord.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Before this autoimmune disease fully manifests itself, inflammation occurs in the small joints of the hands. The nature of the pain is different - a short-term attack that appears and goes away on its own or sharp pain accompanied by swelling and redness. In the second case, disturbances in the movement of the hands and their atrophy are possible.
Doctors
Specialists to contact for diseases of the hands:
- neurologist;
- traumatologist;
- rheumatologist.
Depending on the nature of the pain, the patient may be referred for consultation to one or another doctor.
Diagnostics
First the doctor conducts initial examination patient and listens carefully to his complaints, this can exclude a number of diseases.
In addition to manual testing of muscle function, diagnostics are carried out using:
- x-ray;
- ultrasound examination;
- magnetic resonance imaging.
Based on the results of the studies, the patient is given a final diagnosis and treatment aimed at healing is prescribed.
Treatment
Pain in the hand becomes a problem when, because of it, a person cannot do usual things. If he has an injury, with proper treatment the pain and discomfort will be temporary. If the disease is difficult to heal or is incurable (for example, rheumatoid arthritis), then the person will have to adapt and live with the inability to use his hand 100 percent.
If the patient's work involves constantly working with his fingers using fine motor skills, he may have problems.
Treatment is prescribed in connection with the diagnosis made by the doctor. Since there are many pathologies that result in pain in the hand (both hands), the range of methods for recovery is also large - from injections and physical therapy to surgery.
Some diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis or gout) cannot be treated complete healing, but it is possible to select complex therapy aimed at alleviating the patient’s situation and maximizing his adaptation to everyday life.
Traditional medicine
Can not use traditional medicine as a substitute for treatment prescribed by a doctor. But sometimes such remedies can make life easier. For example, a compress with herbal decoctions - rosemary and nettle. It is necessary to pour boiling water over the herbs, apply the pulp to your hand and wrap it in thin cellophane.
Prevention
First of all, you will have to give up jewelry on both your wrists and fingers. Wrist watch also prohibited.
An effective measure would be joint exercises aimed at developing and strengthening the hands, forearms and fingers.
If it is impossible to change the type of activity that requires stress on your hands, you need to develop an appropriate rhythm of work - with regular breaks. It is also useful to change your posture and hand position.
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common and severe autoimmune diseases. The reason for it is that the immune system the patient begins to perceive the cells of his own body as foreign and attacks them, which causes inflammation, disruption of the functions of an organ or system, and leads to the development of pathology. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs mainly in middle age - between 25 and 55 years, but children are also susceptible to this disease, especially during puberty. The onset of the disease in children is often acute. At the same time, not only the joints of the limbs are involved in the chronic inflammatory process, but also the joints of the cervical spine spinal column. This disease is much more common in women, but representatives of the stronger sex are also susceptible to it.For example, when working on a computer, you can change the height of your chair so that your hands are positioned at different angles from the keyboard. Warming up and self-massage of your fingers and hands will also come in handy.
In most cases, the course of rheumatoid arthritis is chronic. The inflammatory process usually begins in the joints of the toes and hands, and begins to spread throughout the extremities, involving the ankle, knee, elbow, hip and shoulder joints. Quite often, the pathological process affects the wrist area, causing pain in the joints of the hands.
A characteristic feature of rheumatoid arthritis is the symmetry of joint damage - inflammation develops in the same joints on both arms and legs. There is swelling and redness in the affected areas skin. Inflamed joints have limited mobility and acquire a characteristic spindle-shaped shape. The pain can be either constant or intermittent. Acute pain is usually not typical for this disease, and the pain is usually of moderate intensity. Patients report stiffness for several hours after waking up and feel the need to “get loose.” In addition, the pain of rheumatoid arthritis is also slightly reduced after exercise.
In rheumatoid arthritis, not only the joints themselves are affected, but also the adjacent cartilage tissue, as well as bone structures. A continuous and prolonged inflammatory process causes the slow destruction of surrounding tissues.
Except pain syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis in the hand is also dangerous because of the rapid development of disorders and difficulties in flexing and extending the fingers. In addition, there are hand deformations that are difficult to correct. If timely measures are not taken, dislocations and subluxations often develop in the affected joints. In severe cases of the disease, the hands may even deviate to the ulnar side.
Such finger deformations are due to two main reasons:
1.
Destruction of the ligaments and joint capsules deprives the joints of stability, but the tendons continue to exert traction, which leads to the development of deformity - the fingers begin to deviate to the ulnar side, extension is limited and subluxations appear.
2. The tendons involved in the rheumatoid process are destroyed, replaced by scar tissue and, in those areas where they are subject to friction and pressure to the greatest extent, tear. One of the symptoms that precedes such “spontaneous” tendon ruptures is pain on the back of the wrist joint.
Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is based on the collection of characteristic patient complaints, data x-ray examination and laboratory tests, during which the presence of the so-called rheumatoid factor is determined in the patient’s blood. If you suspect the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, you should contact a rheumatologist as soon as possible. This disease is incurable completely, but with the help of anti-inflammatory therapy or even surgical intervention You can stop progressive changes in the joints in time.
Gout
The cause of gout is the accumulation in the joints of substances that are formed in the process of nitrogen metabolism, in particular, uric acid and its derivatives, the so-called urates. The source of these substances in our diet is meat products, which is why gout is also often called a disease of meat-eaters. Mostly men are affected; in addition, the likelihood of this pathology increases with age.Joints are most often affected by gout. lower limbs: toes, feet, ankles and knees. A characteristic symptom of this pathology is acute onset with unbearable pain in the big toe. Swelling and pronounced redness develop in this area. Subsequently, the pathological process spreads to other joints, and can also spread to the upper limbs, affecting, in particular, the wrist area, causing pain in the joints of the hands. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, with gout there is no symmetry of the lesions on the right and left extremities.
In the acute period of gout, the patient experiences excruciating severe pain in the affected joints, which are usually characterized as burning, pressing, bursting and throbbing. The pain is most intense at night and decreases by morning. As the disease progresses to the chronic stage, so-called tophi - characteristic gouty bumps - form around the involved joints. Exacerbations of gout occur from two to six times a year, and their duration is up to several days.
Factors that provoke the onset of an attack are usually:
- reception alcoholic drinks;
- large portions of meat or fatty dishes;
- abuse of coffee, strong tea or cocoa;
- bath procedures.
To relieve pain during acute attack for gout, analgesics are used, and anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, indomethacin) are used to relieve inflammation. In the future, you must strictly adhere to the diet, which involves restricting meat products, fish and alcohol. In addition, at the discretion of the nephrologist, it is periodically indicated to undergo courses of therapy with drugs that reduce the level of uric acid in the blood.
Osteoarthritis
Pain in the hand joint can be caused by arthrosis, a disease based on premature aging and wear of the cartilage that covers the joints of the bones that form the joint. The affected cartilage begins to thin, crack, dehydrate and lose its shock-absorbing properties. A manifestation of this is pain syndrome. Over time, osteophytes begin to appear on the articular surface—spike-like bone growths that change the configuration of the joint, cause its deformation, and injure surrounding areas. tissue structures, causing increased pain. Almost always, this pathology is the lot of older people, although there are also familial, hereditary forms of osteoarthritis, in which the onset of the disease is noted in adolescence or even childhood.Pain due to osteoarthritis is more often observed in the knees and/or hip joints. However, this pathology often affects the upper limbs. With osteoarthritis of the hand joints, pain is observed in the small joints of the hands, the metacarpal-carpal joint of the thumb, and in the elbow and shoulder joints. Often, the impetus for the development of osteoarthritis of the wrist joint is ununited fractures of the bones of the hand.
Classic symptoms of osteoarthritis in the wrist joint are:
- pain during physical exertion;
- painful sensitivity when pressing in the area of the wrist joint;
- limitation of mobility in the joint.
In the diagnosis of osteoarthritis vital role plays X-ray examination. X-rays determine the presence of bone growths, narrowing of the joint space, flattening and deformation of the cartilaginous surfaces of the joints, as well as destruction of the bone tissue itself. Treatment of osteoarthritis begins with relieving inflammation and pain using steroid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Also used are agents that increase protective properties cartilage. But the main place in the treatment of this disease is occupied by physical therapy, physiotherapeutic procedures and sanatorium-resort treatment.
Arthritis
Arthritis is inflammation of a joint. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused by autoimmune inflammation, in ordinary arthritis the underlying pathological process is an infectious lesion. Infectious agents can penetrate directly into the joint, or enter it through the bloodstream from other areas of the body.There are two forms of arthritis:
1. Spicy, which is characterized by severe pain, swelling, redness of the skin in the joint area and increased temperature;
2. Chronic, proceeding slowly, not expressed and reminding of itself with painful sensations only sometimes.
This lack of obviousness of symptoms is one of the main dangers of chronic arthritis. Without paying attention to the disease for a long time, the patient risks bringing the affected joint to complete deformation or even destruction.
Arthritis of the wrist joint is characterized by constant pain in the hand. The presence of pain does not depend on whether there was physical activity or not. In addition, morning stiffness syndrome in the affected joint after a night's sleep is common.
Diagnosis of arthritis is based primarily on laboratory research synovial fluid - internal contents joint capsule– and determining the presence of infectious agents in it. In the treatment of this disease, in addition to anti-inflammatory and painkillers, antibiotics are widely used to eliminate the main cause of the pathology.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
In some cases, hand pain occurs as a result of compression of the nerve conductors in the anatomically narrow spaces of the wrist between the muscle tendons and the bone along the path of the nerve. This pathology is called tunnel or carpal (carpal) syndrome. In general cases, it manifests itself as dull, diffuse pain at night in the hand, mainly in the right hand. Often pain in the hand right hand tends to spread up the arm, sometimes even reaching the back of the head. This disorder often occurs against the background of serious endocrine and hormonal changes in the body, for example, during pregnancy, menopause, diabetes, etc. Carpal syndrome manifests itself in pinching, pinching and swelling of the nerve, which is responsible for the sensitivity of the middle, index and thumb, as well as palms. This disease begins with tingling, numbness, burning and pain in these areas. These sensations usually occur at night or in the morning. Gradually, the pathological sensations turn into a strong decrease in the sensitivity of the fingers and palm. Carpal tunnel syndrome is often observed in menopausal women, and the right limb is most often affected. Pain in the right hand causes such patients to wake up several hours after going to bed. Massaging and shaking the hand brings relief at first. In the morning, there is a feeling of swelling of the hand, and there are also difficulties for several hours with fine movements of the fingers.
In addition, carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by working conditions. Previously, this pathology was common among typists, and in modern world It affects people who work at a computer for a long time. Constant static load on the same muscle group, as well as awkward hand position while working with a keyboard or mouse, leads to pinched nerves.
To prevent the development of this pathology, it is necessary to take preventive measures. For example, it would be useful to use special mouse pads that have rollers to support the hand. They help make your hand more comfortable and remove most loads. Also to prevent the development carpal tunnel syndrome If you need to work at the computer for a long time, you need to take frequent breaks, as well as stretch and shake your hands.
Inflammation of ligaments and tendons (peritendinitis)
Peritendinitis mainly affects the tendons responsible for extension of the hand and the ligament of the wrist joint. The leading symptom of peritendinitis is a fairly intense aching pain in the hand in the wrist area. Sometimes swelling can be observed along the tendon. Diagnosis of peritendinitis is based on examination and examination of the patient. A characteristic symptom is the appearance of pain when pressing with a finger in the affected area. In addition, when active movements You can feel a slight creaking (crepitus) in the hand by touch, and sometimes you can detect it by ear. Treatment involves taking anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as limiting motor activity in the affected hand.Hand injuries
We can roughly distinguish three types of hand injuries:- bone injuries;
- injuries of tendons and joint-ligamentous apparatus;
- muscle tissue injuries.
These acute conditions and injuries are the result of falls on the hands or direct blows to the wrist. After hand injuries associated with fractures, complications such as dystrophy with diffuse swelling of the wrist joint, smoothing of the contours of the joint and very intense pain can develop.
Depending on the severity and nature of the injury, symptoms of a fracture can range from swelling and minor discomfort to excruciating pain and obvious deformation of the hand. Often, wrist fractures do not show significant symptoms and are therefore misdiagnosed as sprains. This is their danger: improperly treated or undiagnosed fractures of the carpal bones can have serious consequences, for example, loss of mobility in the joint. Therefore, it should be remembered that signs of a fracture of the hand bones are not always obvious. In some cases, an injury occurs after a blow and goes unnoticed, appearing only during severe physical exertion, and the accompanying painful sensations are taken as a sign of a simple bruise.
Injuries to the tendons and articular-ligamentous apparatus of the hand are manifested by subluxations, dislocations, sprains and ligament ruptures. All these pathological conditions in the vast majority of cases are accompanied by pain of varying intensity.
Subluxations and dislocations are evidence of injuries and failure of the articular-ligamentous apparatus of the hand. As a result of sudden physical impacts or weakening of the joint capsule due to inflammation or degenerative changes, the normal spatial configuration of the joint is disrupted. Simply put, articular surfaces bones are in the wrong position in relation to each other.
Such conditions cause stretching and sometimes rupture of the joint capsule, and are quite easy to diagnose. The presence of a dislocation in many cases is determined visually, and the diagnosis can be unambiguously confirmed, as in the case of a bone fracture, using an X-ray examination.
With weakening of the articular apparatus, which is caused by degenerative changes in the tissue of the joint capsule, subluxations and dislocations can become “habitual.” They can occur repeatedly during the day, and the patient himself sets them in place. You should not think that this brings relief. Over time, such habitual dislocations increasingly weaken the entire joint, and sooner or later it may completely lose its function.
A sprain is a pathological (more than possible) stretching of ligaments and tendons. The final and most pronounced stage of sprain is rupture of the ligament, i.e. loss of her physical integrity. Most often, sprains in this area affect either the ligaments that hold the lower ends of the forearm, ulna, and radius bones together, or the ligaments that connect the wrist bones (carpals).
Symptoms of a tendon strain:
- sharp pain in the wrist;
- swelling;
- limited range of motion in the hand;
- instability of one or more joints.
It must be remembered that in most cases, hand injury combines several types of lesions. For example, bone fractures are almost always accompanied by soft tissue bruises, and often sprains or ruptures of tendons. Therefore, both the diagnosis and treatment of hand injuries must be approached comprehensively. Of great importance is the careful collection of patient complaints and a detailed clarification of the causes and circumstances of the injury. The volume and location of hand injuries are clarified using radiography. Treatment consists of artificially limiting the movements of the injured hand, and in case of fractures or ligament ruptures, surgical intervention is indicated to restore the anatomical integrity of the injured structures.
Lesions of the cervical spine
If there are no local causes for pain in the hand such as joint damage or injury, you need to pay attention to the cervical spine. In some cases, it is pathologies in this area that can manifest themselves as pain in the hand: - protrusion of the intervertebral disc;
- intervertebral hernia ;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
- radiculitis of the cervical spine.
Diagnosis of lesions of the cervical spine is largely based on the collection of characteristic complaints of the patient, as well as on the results of radiography and magnetic resonance and computed tomography of the spinal column. These examinations make it possible to accurately determine the localization of the pathological process, its volume and prevalence.
Treatment of such pathologies is always a difficult task and takes a long period of time. On early stages these diseases are more or less susceptible conservative therapy. In this case, methods of manual intervention (with the exception of herniated discs!), physiotherapeutic procedures, and the use of physical therapy and spa treatment. At later stages of the development of these pathologies, in most cases, to alleviate the patient’s condition, it is necessary to resort to surgical interventions on the spine.
Coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction
In some cases, pain in the hands can be a sign of cardiac pathology, especially if the pain is localized in the left hand and radiates to the left hand. upper sections limbs. This symptom is a characteristic sign of exacerbation coronary disease heart, or even myocardial infarction. In addition, pain in the hand may be accompanied by the following manifestations:- pressing pain behind the sternum, in the upper limb, under the left shoulder blade;
- difficulty breathing, shortness of breath;
- pale skin;
- the appearance of cold sweat;
- inexplicable fear and anxiety.
Diagnosis of coronary heart disease is based primarily on electrocardiographic examination, careful collection of complaints and examination of the patient. Treatment for this disease is long-term and includes the use of a large number of drugs used to improve blood supply to the heart muscle.
Localized pain
In addition to the listed general pathological conditions, which can cause pain in the entire hand, mention should be made of diseases that lead to pain in only one or several fingers of the hand:- Pain and sensory disturbances in the ring and little fingers are most often observed with lesions of the ulnar nerve in the elbow area. This is characterized by weakness when spreading the fingers and atrophy of the interosseous muscles.
- Pain in the thumb, middle and especially the index finger is often observed with lesions of the median nerve of the forearm. In addition, the same localization of pain is observed with radiculitis of the cervical spine.
- After damage to various branches of the nerves of the upper extremities (for example, due to trauma), formations may form on the fingers. benign tumors nerve tissue. They have localized soreness, which in some cases can spread up the arm.
- Damage to the sensory dorsal digital nerve can be caused by pressure applied to the thumb area by an instrument (for example, scissors) during prolonged use. Such damage is accompanied burning pains at the specified location.
- Point pain in the terminal phalanx of just one finger, most often in the area of its nail bed, can be caused by the occurrence of a benign skin tumor, very rich in nerve fibers. In some cases, this neoplasm appears under the skin of the finger or under the nail in the form of a bluish spot. With this disease, local pain occurs first only with pressure, and then spontaneously with the usual lowering of the arm down.
- Sometimes rheumatic diseases also manifest as localized pain in the interphalangeal joints or individual fingers. This is observed in primary chronic polyarthritis or arthrosis of the extreme interphalangeal joints. A characteristic symptom in such cases is the appearance of painful swelling of the joints - Heberden's nodes.
Diagnostics
In addition to a thorough survey and collection of patient complaints, his careful clinical examination, manual muscle testing (determining pain when flexing the wrist), it is also necessary to use additional methods instrumental diagnostics. First of all, this is radiography. Ultrasound research methods and magnetic resonance imaging are also used.Treatment of hand pain
Hand pain can develop into a significant problem, especially if due to this symptom the patient loses the ability to perform his usual work. It is clear that if pain is associated with hand injuries (fractures, soft tissue bruises, sprains or torn ligaments), then with adequate and timely treatment This pain is most often temporary. As the functions of the injured organ are restored and tissues heal, the pain syndrome goes away. But we must not forget about the functional development of the hand during the rehabilitation period. Neglecting these measures and letting the recovery process take its course can be fraught with troubles in the future. With a decrease in functional activity in the small joints of the hand and fingers, contractures may develop - painful restrictions in movement. In addition, fused tendons and ligaments can form pathological constrictions, which can also significantly impair the working qualities of the hand. Over time, you may find that your hand is no longer as effective as before. In some cases, for example if work activity the patient was related to fine motor skills of the fingers, this can pose a serious problem.
Home and traditional methods Treatments for hand pain include compresses with infusions of rosemary and nettle. Applications are made from a mixture of these herbs. It is necessary to brew the mixture, apply warm herbal pulp to your hand and cover it with plastic. On top you need to wrap your hand with something warm, for example, a scarf or handkerchief. However, it is necessary to understand that if traditional methods do not bring quick relief, you should seek professional medical help.
Pain in the hand: when is it necessary to see a doctor urgently?
- painful sensations in the arm that last more than two days;
- sensitivity of fingers and palms decreases;
- pain intensifies with physical activity on the hand;
- deformation of the hand or joints becomes visually noticeable;
- there are restrictions or disturbances in movement in the joints of the hand;
- swelling begins on the affected limb.
Complete treatment for pain in the hands, which brings lasting and long-lasting positive effect, must be based on identifying and eliminating the main cause of pain. Often, to carry out such therapy it is necessary to involve a variety of medical specialists in order to draw up a comprehensive treatment regimen. After all, pain in the hand can often be a consequence of diseases of other systems and organs of the body, for example, the nervous or cardiovascular.
If you experience pain in your hands, you should consult the following specialists:
- traumatologist;
- compliance balanced diet nutrition;
- taking care of your hands when performing any traumatic work;
- alternating periods of work and rest with massage and relaxation of the hands when working at the computer.
Pain in the hand of the right upper limb are quite common, often appearing against the background of diseases of the musculoskeletal system or nervous system. If sensations occur on one side, their cause should be determined and treatment should be started in a timely manner.
The first symptoms may appear suddenly, causing acute severe pain in the arm, these attacks can last for several weeks, worsening several times a month. Lack of treatment in most cases leads to numbness of the area, muscle atrophy, and tremors. Systemic diseases, acute inflammatory processes, and post-traumatic changes should always be excluded.
The right hand consists of the following parts:
- The wrist is the beginning of the hand;
- Palm ( inner part brushes);
- Outer part of the brush;
- Fingers – little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger and thumb.
The wrist is located in the bend of the hand and consists of many small bones connected by ligaments. The wrist area is sometimes associated with wearing a watch or bracelet.
In this area, the right limb narrows, placing many nerves and ligaments in a small area. The first cause of pain may lie in a decrease in the canal for the nerves, thereby causing carpal tunnel syndrome in the right hand. Sometimes this area is bothered by arthrosis, arthritis, peritendinitis, and some bone diseases.
There is a lot of workload in this area and, as a result, programmers may develop chronic course. If the reason lies in the constant load when working with the mouse, you should change the working conditions and adjust the work schedule.
Pain in the right hand, on the inside. The symptom often occurs when neurological lesions median or ulnar nerves, diseases of the intervertebral discs of the cervical region C5-C7. Sometimes you can find Dupuytren's contracture, accompanied by the formation of painful connecting nodes.
Pain in the fingers of the right hand
In most cases, several fingers hurt at the same time on the right river. According to statistics, almost 50% of all symptoms occur on the ring finger and little finger at the same time. Sometimes patients are bothered by numbness and slight tingling of the tips.
In approximately 30% of cases, the index and thumb, slightly affecting the average.
How your fingers may be bothered:
- All the fingers of my right hand hurt. It is quite rare to encounter such a situation; the main problem should be looked for in the vessels, to rule out hypothermia and injury.
- Pain in the index, thumb and ring fingers simultaneously - a clear sign damage to the radial nerve (if it hurts outside the palm) or median nerve (if it hurts inside the palm).
- Thumb and index finger on right side– most likely the problem is in the spine, in the 6th cervical root.
- The little finger and ring fingers may hurt and go numb with a right-sided foraminal hernia between the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae;
- The middle finger and halves of the two nearest fingers – right-sided foraminal hernia C4-C5.
The pain is not always clearly expressed in all areas, but is disturbing in one area.
Right thumb, the sixth cervical root is responsible for its work, which can be damaged by a posterior disc herniation between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae on right. If pain occurs only on outside, this may indicate damage to the radial nerve. The median nerve is responsible for the end of the finger, the last phalanx.
The index finger rarely bothers individually, it is innervated by the seventh right cervical root. The pain can spread to neighboring areas, and patients are bothered by discomfort in the neck. MRI is used for diagnosis.
Because most often the tips of the right ring finger and little finger hurt, symptoms are accompanied by acute piercing pain in the area of the nails or fingertips. Over time, symptoms develop into upper limb numbness or mild tingling. Right little finger may hurt due to a hernia at the level of the fifth to sixth cervical vertebrae.
Causes and treatment
Of particular importance in diagnosing such symptoms is timely consultation with a doctor for full examination. The list of diagnostic methods is extremely extensive; testing for rheumatism, arthritis, arthrosis, gout, and diabetes may be recommended. The main diagnosis is based on an MRI of the cervical spine, examination of sensitivity and muscle function.
If, after examining the spine, damage to the nerve roots is detected intervertebral discs treatment should be started promptly. If you consult a doctor in a timely manner, pain in your fingers can be eliminated without surgery. Absence timely assistance can lead to weakness in the right arm, muscle atrophy, paresis, disability, etc.
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Good afternoon I'm worried about the pain between the big one and index finger right hand. It started when I worked as a secretary and I had to write a lot by hand (from morning to evening!), in the literal sense of the word. At first there was such a pain as if my finger was tired from writing and I just needed to rest. But even after resting, the pain did not go away. It got to the point where I couldn't move my arm. it was very painful. It was also impossible to lift weights, strain my arm at all, and I couldn’t write at all. I went to the therapist, and they only advised me to make a compress with ketonal ointment. I saw the result soon. But more than a year has passed, and the hand periodically makes itself felt. I still can’t lift anything heavy, I can’t write for a long time... there’s general discomfort and I’m afraid that I won’t be able to really work... because I work a lot on the computer. Please advise which doctor to see, how to deal with this pain?! Thank you.
How can you cure pain?
How to make it so that nothing hurts
Human hands are a part of the body that daily experiences heavy loads associated with a large number of movements. We may often not notice or not attach importance to the fact that we have injured or overstrained the joints in this place. Only when our hands hurt do we remember how important this part of the body is.
In case of injury - bruise, sprain, the damaged area is very painful. Athletes, schoolchildren who behave ineptly in physical education lessons, and people engaged in heavy physical labor are especially often injured. The latter include summer residents who, after a long period of inactivity, at the beginning of the year, give heavy load in a fit of “shock work”, that they then complain about inflamed joints and ligaments or that the hand is swollen. The latter case may be associated with unsatisfactory functioning of the heart and kidneys, which requires proper diagnosis.
Those who work a lot at the computer will develop a lump on their hand. This may be increased due to stress on the tendon or signs of rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, when one of the manifestations of the disease is the formation of nodules in the area around the joint.
When the hand where the hand meets the wrist hurts, this may be a symptom of pinched nerve endings, which are observed in people long time working at a computer or who, as part of their profession, have to keep their arms bent for a long time.
The hands may even become numb and lose sensation when a nerve is pinched. This can happen not only due to the fact that you work, but even during sleep - due to incorrect body position, when the cervical or thoracic spine is bent, as a result of which the nerve endings extending to the sides are pinched.
The joints of the hands hurt even after the objective cause has been cured. This may be the result of frequent injuries, such as knocking out a joint while playing basketball or volleyball. Or it may signal an untreated infection that remains inside the joints and now regularly worsens, causing inconvenience.
For whatever reason you experience discomfort in your hands, it is worth paying attention to the problem. On initial stages solving the problem is much easier. Get examined and if the beginning is detected pathological processes, then timely treatment will help restore the functionality of cartilage and ligaments. In advanced cases, a person may lose the ability to qualitatively carry out fine motor movements, which may affect the quality of household professional activity.
Deformed joints as a result neglected form The disease will not only be painful, but also aesthetically unattractive for others and the person himself.
Causes of hand pain
Today there are many reasons for pain in the hands. This can include high loads associated with a violation of the work and rest regime, when, as a result of high load on the fingers, the joints receive microtrauma and begin to hurt.
The second feature is a sharp change from physical inactivity to intense physical exercise. This applies primarily to those who, after several months of very passive pastime, suddenly went to the gym or to the garden, where they showed maximum effort. As a result, he received bruises, sprains, and microtrauma.
Need to pay Special attention when your left hand hurts. This symptom may indicate cardiac problems such as ischemia. The second reason may be a pinched nerve at the level of the cervical or thoracic spine. This is possible with osteochondrosis and other diseases associated with the destruction of cartilage tissue, hernias and protrusions.
The right hand, which is prevalent in most of the population, often becomes the target of the so-called “tunnel syndrome,” which involves pinching the median nerve. The first signs may be a feeling of numbness in the fingers, with the exception of the little finger. Afterwards, the numbness spreads to the entire hand.
In difficult advanced cases such a violation of tissue innervation leads to atrophy of muscle tissue, up to total loss control over fine motor function. With carpal (tunnel) syndrome, pain can be especially noticeable at night.
Peritendinitis is an inflammatory process of tendons and ligaments. Caused by prolonged computer work and exercise-related fine motor skills. Pain is caused by even light pressure.
Inflamed joints of the hands may indicate infectious diseases, and about disorders in the human autoimmune system, when the body perceives its own cells as foreign and begins to fight them.
In the phalanges of the fingers and metacarpus are located in large quantities thin bones that are very easy to damage. If your hand is swollen, then you need to clearly determine the cause of this condition - this can be either a consequence of a disease or an injury that was not paid attention to in time.
Not only pensioners can suffer from rheumatoid arthritis - children and adults are also susceptible to it. The disease is characterized by symmetrical damage to the joints of the hands, their inflammation and hyperemia of the area.
Fingers going numb is another sign that can become serious symptom. Often it indicates a violation of the blood supply to the upper limb. It can manifest itself due to an uncomfortable body position during sleep, tight, tight clothing. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine also causes a similar symptom.
Another disease is polyneuropathy, which can have both infectious nature, and damage the nerves due to the development of other diseases. it may also indicate the presence of a blood clot that blocks the blood supply or puts pressure on the nerve ending.
When the hand hurts when clenched into a fist, this can be a signal of both inflammatory processes and possible deposition of salts in the joints of the hands. The final diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a complete examination. It often happens that small joints are injured during stress. A person could simply carry a bag and not consider it a big weight, but in fact pull ligaments or tendons that later become inflamed.
There is no need to wonder why your hands hurt. You just need to go to an appointment with a specialist and find out the objective reason. Diagnostic methods There may be an x-ray, ultrasound, MRI, testing. Only after a complete history collection will the doctor be able to make a clear diagnosis.
What to do
When your hand hurts, the first thing to do is stop the activity you were doing and let your hands rest. Compliance with a work-rest regime is an excellent way to overcome pain from overexertion of the muscles, joints and tendons of the hands.
If you feel resistance or pain in your joints when bending, the reason may lie in various factors:
- and, contributing to destruction;
- , which is characterized by the deposition of salts in the joints and their deformation;
- injuries and bruises;
- swelling.
If the pain is severe, then most likely we're talking about about injury - sprain, bruise or dislocation. Another option is arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, which not only impedes movement, but is also accompanied by inflammation of the joints. In any of these cases, pain-relieving creams or ointments, which your doctor will prescribe to you, work well, based on the severity of the disease.
Muscle strain is relieved by massage and gymnastics, and you can do it yourself or contact a specialist who provides massage services. In this case, the entire metacarpal-carpal area is treated to allow the joints to function normally again, restore tissue lymphatic drainage and blood flow.
All kinds of baths and compresses can also have a healing effect and somewhat reduce the severity of manifestations. Such procedures are good in the initial stages. If the disease is advanced, then the benefits from such measures will be less.
If a child complains of soreness in his hands, then first of all it is necessary to understand whether there has been an injury and whether he is engaged in too many activities related to fine motor skills - playing musical instruments, drawing or writing.
Children can also develop rheumatoid arthritis due to hereditary predispositions. If you or your immediate family have joint diseases, then your child should be checked by a doctor for the presence of similar ailments.
What to do to prevent further development of the disease?
- Reduce stress on joints during the day.
- In case of injury, do not interrupt the course of treatment and rehabilitation, achieve full recovery so that untreated sprains and dislocations do not become a source of problems in the future.
- Do not overcool your hands. Often this factor becomes the cause of joint damage. Gloves should not be neglected in the cold season. Hypothermia of the joints can cause the development of pathological processes due to disruption of metabolic processes and microcirculation, which helps provide nutrients.
- Regularly do exercises and self-massage for your hands.
Even such simple ones preventive measures will help you avoid it in the future serious problems with health.
Treatment
Pain in the hands can become an obstacle to not only professional activities, but also basic self-care activities. It will not be possible to ignore the problem, because without the opportunity to deal with business as usual, the person will soon become very irritable and will look for ways to eliminate unpleasant sensations.
Treatment with folk remedies is very popular in Russia. Lilac flowers and shells are used walnut, fly agaric caps and dandelion root. All racks are made with vodka and infused for about 14 days in a dark room with periodic shaking. Afterwards, the tincture is filtered and consumed in small doses for 30 days.
This method is unlikely to work if you do not have chronic disease, you are not a herbalist who prepares herbs and roots with mushrooms on time and you need help now, not in 14 days.
If the joints of the hands and adjacent joints and ligaments are affected, the doctor may prescribe complex treatment, aimed at eliminating pain, relieving inflammation, restoring mobility of small joints. First of all, this will be drug treatment, and after relieving pain and inflammation, and only after that, physiotherapeutic procedures will help restore all impaired functions in the hands.
If you are prescribed chondroprotectors, be sure to take a course. Even if you have this moment everything is in order, the doctor prescribes them in order to give you the opportunity to prevent the further development of degenerative processes.
Sometimes they are prescribed both by injection and in tablet form. Entering the body in two ways, chondroprotectors work more efficiently. Also, do not neglect the course of antibiotics, because joint damage can be infectious. Without treatment, you will transfer the infection to a latent form, which will subsequently worsen regularly.
Under the influence of infection, joints can be destroyed much faster; moreover, bacteria will be spread throughout the body through the bloodstream, which threatens the appearance of new lesions.
The patient’s task is to follow all the doctor’s instructions and complete the course of treatment so that one can confidently say about its effectiveness. Correct treatment begins with establishing a diagnosis, for which you need to undergo examination for autoimmune diseases, destructive processes cartilage tissue and pinched nerve endings. Only after all the diagnostic procedures The doctor will indicate how to treat soreness in the hands in your specific case.
Do your hands hurt? Put correct diagnosis and only a doctor can choose the most effective treatment. Therefore, if your hands (especially with prolonged and severe pain), you need to seek medical help.
Which specialist should you contact for pain in your hands?
Because the most common causes of hand pain are various diseases joints, as well as diseases of the nervous system (for example, inflammation or pinched nerves), it is necessary to undergo an examination by a rheumatologist and neurologist. In addition, it would not hurt to consult a traumatologist, since pain in the hands can be either a consequence of a previous injury or result from a recent bruise. There are many cases where a person did not even suspect that he had a dislocated wrist, considering severe pain and swelling due to a bruised limb.
The traumatologist gives a referral for X-ray limbs. If no damage is found there, it is necessary to examine the cervical spine. Perhaps the pain is caused by an intervertebral or other disease.
At rheumatic diseases joints the doctor will prescribe medications and anti-inflammatory effect. As an addition, physiotherapy (massage, warming) can be prescribed.
If pain in the hand is caused by gout, in addition to taking medications, you will have to follow a diet, minimizing the consumption of rich foods (meat, fish), as well as alcoholic beverages and strong coffee. If the pain is localized in the left hand and at the same time “gives” higher, accompanied by pallor of the skin, difficulty breathing, the appearance of cold sweat and a feeling of anxiety (sometimes strong, even panic), it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance. Because this may be a sign of myocardial infarction.
How to reduce pain at home
Often pain in the hands is caused by excessive physical activity. If possible, try to give your hands rest. A light massage of the sore hand and warm baths can help.
A common cause of such pain is working for a long time at the computer, when the hands are in an uncomfortable position. Try
